I've had a few requests from friends for help with weathering costumes.

As far as my opinion goes, weathering is a really critical part of a costume, and yet there's not too much around in the way of tutorials.
I'm going to put together a couple of tutorials for those friends who requested them, but they'll be specific to the costume or part they're working on.

So I thought I would chuck up a thread on here and see if anyone is wanting to know a specific weathering technique, or have a costume part that they're struggling with.

I am specifically working on a Chell costume. I've ordered a bright orange jumpsuit of unknown fabric content. I'll be able to figure it out in a few days when it arrives.

I know that there is a difference in weathering cotton versus synthetic fabrics. Most synthetic fabrics tend to resist wear & tear and stains of all kinds better than natural fibers.

What is one of the better ways to make my bright orange jumpsuit (assuming it is a poly blend vs 100% cotton) a little bit less bright? And show some wear spots. Not necessarily through the fabric, but like maybe its been through a few test subjects already?

Now that I think about it, I should just temporary hem it to fit my six year old and put it on over her snowsuit. Even the thicker reinforced patches on her knees and her bottom hems are getting worn, dirty and frayed.

I guess I would like a way of weathering in hours, days, or weeks, instead of daily for months. I have until July, I just have several costumes to get done by then so I want to start as early as I can.

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Nostrum, I would love to see the tutorials! Before I even knew what weathering was, I had to look it up! I know now, but for the beginners, any chance you can add why weathering is important and what/why/how it makes a cosplay look better? I think that would be great!

Being an old Warhammer player weathering the metal isnt an issue but im having trouble thinking of a way to do the leather.

Im using Faux leather, this is the exact stuff I bought in Brown. I have double sided it and stitched along the seams with a lighter brown leather thonging and added the studs. So far I have only completed the leg guards but to be prepared in unsure on how to weather them and when I do it the upper body parts too. Generally want to make it look worn in and more natural.

Yes! it would be great to have more weathering tutorials, not many out there.

Thank you for the link Sabinam, just the type of thing I was looking for (working on armor currently). I think my main concern is finding a good balance between going overboard - putting too much 'wear' vs not enough where it's not noticable or looks 'unfinished'.

I will also be interested in any tips or tutorials for effects that can be done on fabric.

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How about a sticky that has links to individual tutorials for different types of weathering on different material types, and for different looks? "The Tutorial List, Part Five: Weathering, aging, distressing"

I'll contribute some too; I have a bunch of in-progress pictures from my Franken-Stig helmet; I used a few different techniques and it turned out pretty nice.